


Made Such a Mess of This Place

by Auber_Gine_Dreams



Series: Wonu is a Necromancer (White Noise Verse) [4]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Anita Blake Vampire Hunter, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Concubine, M/M, Magical Bond, Polyamory Negotiations, Sex Magic, Soulmates, Strangers to Lovers, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, i mean they are, implied prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 14:01:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18152780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auber_Gine_Dreams/pseuds/Auber_Gine_Dreams
Summary: Jun didn’t think about it before he spoke.“How does this sound, Minghao? I’ll teach you the language, but you must keep it a secret. No one can know that I’ve been here to visit you, and if we are formally introduced by the Master you must pretend it is our first meeting. Can you do that?”Minghao’s eyebrows rose but he nodded.Jun grinned, careful not to expose his fangs.--Or--Wen Junhui becomes Master of the City and Minghao becomes his human servant, but it's not as easy as it sounds.





	Made Such a Mess of This Place

**Author's Note:**

> This was always going to happen. As soon as I came up with Jun's backstory I knew I was going to write this. 
> 
> You can definitely read this as a stand-alone fic, but the main story is [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16700140/chapters/39167641) if you want to read the full AU!  
> (FYI - Jun is a main character but Minghao is more of a side character in White Noise)
> 
> This takes place about 60 years before the events of White Noise. If you were curious about how exactly Jun met Minghao and became Master of the City then you've come to the right place!!
> 
> As always please heed the Archive warning for Blood and Violence!!!
> 
> Title is from No Mercy by PVRIS, which really fits the mood but Devil's Backbone by The Civil Wars is quite literally THE representative song of White Noise Junhao

Junhui had never been a lucky person. No, most of the time the things he leapt into on faith ended up badly. Anything good in his long life he’d worked for, planned and calculated and bled for.

It was a slow, careful climb from where he’d started his immortal life to where he was now, the Master’s Second in Command.

Concubine to courtesan. It made Jun sick.

It took decades before hearing how pretty he was didn’t make him hot with nausea. He’d only gotten a mirror he could actually see himself in a few years ago, and getting reacquainted with his reflection had been its own process.

Jun was proud of his climb through the ranks until the Master had come back from a business trip to China with a boy. He was around the age Jun had been when he was turned.

The boy was beautiful, soft brown eyes and shiny black hair. He was terrified and the way he kept glancing around while trying desperately to understand what was happening made Jun put a steadying hand against the wall.

“Master seems to have found a new exotic pet,” a woman dressed in her court finery whispered to her friend.

“You know he likes it when they —” she stopped short when she noticed Jun out of the corner of her eye. The two walked briskly toward the gardens and Jun fought the urge to scream by digging his nails into his palms.

The Master didn’t introduce them, instead ignoring him altogether and pulling the boy down into the underground part of the palace. The boy turned and they locked eyes until he was out of sight.

Jun was just trying to bide his time until he could put his plan into action, but everything about the boy gave Jun a sick sense of déjà vu. It seemed his plan would have to wait a little longer.

I was almost dawn when Jun snuck down to see him. He was in one of the Master’s special viewing rooms: transparent walls on all sides with a tightly locked door and a slot big enough for a hand to fit through.

“You must be tired. It seems you have traveled a long way to get here,” Jun said in Mandarin. The boy’s eyes widened and his shoulders relaxed so fast Jun almost laughed.

“My father told me I had stay with that man, but he didn’t tell me I’d need to know a different language,” the boy said as he sighed, “I don’t really know what I’m doing here.”

Jun figured as much. It made something pool in his stomach, heavy like he’d swallowed lead.

Surely, Master didn’t plan to —

“I’m Xu Minghao,” the boy said, interrupting Jun’s thoughts.

Jun smiled and tried his best to put Minghao at ease.

“I’m Wen Junhui. I apologize if my Mandarin is a little rusty. It’s been a long, long time since I have spoken to someone from home.”

Minghao scoffed and waved a hand dismissively in front of him.

“Junhui, you can’t be that much older than me. Your pronunciation is fine. Have you really lived here that long?”

Jun had to fight to keep his expression neutral. Minghao didn’t know. Of course he didn’t.

Shit.

Jun sighed, decided it would be better to pretend he was being dramatic. No need to scare Minghao with the truth on his first night.

“It certainly feels like a long time. I miss home very much. I hope to go back someday soon.”

Minghao hummed a little sadly. Jun couldn’t imagine how he must have felt, a filial son transported unknowingly into a den of snakes.

At least Jun had come here of his own free will. It was after he got here that things had gone sour.

Minghao sat in silence for a while and Jun looked him over from head to toe. Minghao was very pretty, an air of calm elegance that was hard to ignore. The strong steady beat of his heart was pretty, too.

Jun didn’t think about it before he spoke.

“How does this sound, Minghao? I’ll teach you the language, but you must keep it a secret. No one can know that I’ve been here to visit you, and if we are formally introduced by the Master you must pretend it is our first meeting. Can you do that?”

Minghao’s eyebrows rose but he nodded.

Jun grinned, careful not to expose his fangs.

“We shall start tomorrow then. I will see you an hour before sunrise.”

“What do you mean by Master?” Minghao called out, but Jun was up the stairs before he could even think about an answer.

 

 

 

***

 

 

  
Teaching Minghao went splendidly. He was a fast learner, way faster than Jun had been (of course, no one had really been _trying_ to teach him, so he did give himself a little credit for that). Most of the time, Jun thought that living in a Joseon era palace was silly. It was so Old World vampire and some days he craved modern luxuries, but it made sneaking to and from Minghao much easier. There were so many different routes to take, so many corridors to hide in. Even so, it proved harder to keep their lessons a secret than he thought. It was a month in when Jun was caught, pulled roughly into an empty corridor as he was walking from the stairway to the main part of the palace.

“The Master won’t like you defiling his new play thing,” JR growled, his voice low in Jun’s ear. Of all the people in the entire court to catch him, it had to be the one vampire that would stake him without hesitation.

But it was better that he thought Jun was trying to drink from Minghao, to seduce him away from the Master. Jun was used to that. He could work with that.

He smirked. “Master never said that the boy was off limits, JR, and it is still my duty to make sure any guest he brings here is satisfied in every way.”

JR’s grip on his shoulder tightened. Jun could feel the bones grind together under the pressure but he kept his face blank.

“Unlike the rest of the court, you can’t fuck me into obedience, Junhui. I’m on to you. The Master thinks you’re just a pretty face and a good lay, but I know better. You’re smarter than anyone believes you capable of. I’m prepared to go to the Master when the time is right,” JR sneered, pulling back just enough to meet Jun’s eyes. “This behavior won’t sway him in your favor.”

Jun put his hand flat against JR’s chest and pushed, sending him back enough for Jun to move off the wall. He gave JR a smile laced with venom as he turned to head back to his room.

“You have no power over me, Kim Jonghyun. When the time is right, _that_ is what you should remember.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

  
When Jun walked down the stairs to see Minghao all the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Something was wrong. He hurried down the rest of the way and as soon as he laid eyes on Minghao, he knew.

Minghao was pale and as Jun got closer he could see how shiny with sweat he was, like he was fighting off a fever. His eyes were staring straight ahead and even though Jun was in his line of vision he wasn’t seeing him.

Jun was about to speak when he saw them.

Two sets of bite marks.

One on each side of his neck, the left side trickling blood.

“Oh, Minghao,” Jun breathed out, dropping heavily to his knees in front of him, “I am so, so sorry. I did not think he would come for you so soon.”

Minghao seemed to realize he was there and blinked a few times before his eyes hardened, mouth pressed into a tight line.

“But you knew he would come eventually?”

Jun felt guilt like a stake to the heart. He should have told Minghao sooner, but he’d been caught up in their time together, in hearing about his homeland, in trying to put the final pieces in place for his plan.

The only way to salvage their budding friendship was to be honest. Jun sighed heavily and looked Minghao in the eyes.

“Yes. I knew he would come for you as he once came for me many centuries ago.”

Minghao recoiled, scooting back until he reached the opposite wall like he didn’t think the thick-paned glass between them would keep him safe. Jun tried not to let it bother him.

“The Master and I are vampires, Minghao. Everyone that you have seen here is a supernatural being of some kind. Your father is most likely one of the Master’s business partners, and he probably negotiated a deal with you as payment,” Jun said, taking a deep breath and digging his nails into his palms. “The Master will drink from you and fuck you and loan you out to the highest bidder until you’re all used up and almost bled dry, and if you are lucky, he will kill you after that. If you aren’t lucky, he will turn you and you will end up just like me.”

Jun felt a tear slide down his cheek and he brought his hand up to scrub it away a little dazedly. Minghao stared at him for a long time without saying anything, and Jun wondered for a moment if he should just risk the punishment and end Minghao’s suffering before anything worse happened to him.

Minghao sighed and his previous tension left with it. “You’ve been speaking Mandarin the whole time,” he said, voice so soft Jun only heard it because of what he was, “How am I supposed to learn if you don’t teach me properly?”

 

 

 

***

 

 

  
After Minghao was bitten the first time, he was moved out of the underground and given free reign of the palace. He found Jun’s room the first day. Minghao seemed to be doing his best to keep their meetings a secret, but at some point Jun stopped caring if they were found out. The Master had gotten the first bite. It shouldn’t matter who was keeping Minghao company after that.

It didn’t take long for Jun to realize that he wasn’t going to let Minghao suffer the way he had suffered. He was going to have to carry out his plan, and soon. It was only a matter of time before more than blood donation was expected of Minghao.

He was in Jun’s bed burrowed into his side. Jun was playing with his hair absentmindedly. Minghao’s neck was littered with bites in various stages of healing, and Jun was careful not to brush against the skin there. Minghao always came to find him after he was bitten, as if Jun was some kind of comfort to him even though he was a vampire too. Maybe the difference was that Jun only drank when he had to, and only from willing donors. He had never been as bloodthirsty as the Master, who would drink and drink and drink just because he could.

“Your hair is getting long,” Jun murmured, “are you going to cut it soon?”

Minghao opened his mouth to answer just as Jun’s door slammed open.

JR looked at Jun, bare shoulders just visible above the blankets, hair messy because Minghao had woken him up. At least Minghao was fully clothed, not that it mattered.

JR sneered, his eyes flashing with some emotion Jun couldn’t place.

“Are you teaching him all your tricks, Junhui? Make sure you show him what the Master likes, especially if you want to keep him around longer.”

Minghao looked at Jun, his eyes wide with fear. JR didn’t know that he could understand what he was saying. Jun gave Minghao a pleading look, begging the boy to trust him before he looked at JR with a pleased smirk.

“And here I thought you didn’t want me around him at all, JR. He’s been bitten already. I’m allowed to have him in my bed if I choose to.”

JR scowled and fixed his eyes on Minghao.

“It’s a shame really, that he doesn’t know what’s going to happen to him. Like a lamb to the slaughter,” JR said, his voice turning sickly sweet, “I wish I could watch when Master sells him to the West. Once Ren sets his sights on the boy he’ll be begging for death.”

Jun felt the blood drain from his face even as he fought to keep his expression neutral.

“Oh? I hadn’t heard the Master planned to meet with Minki.”

JR’s smile was wicked.

“That’s because I’ve been advising him. I told him that he puts too much trust in you, that there’s only one thing you’re good for. I think he will come to see it quite soon.”

JR gave one last look to Minghao before he turned to leave.

“You’d better start planning an escape, Junhui. If I have my way, the Master will send you to his special club down South. Permanently.”

JR shut the door as he left and Minghao fell against his side as soon as they were alone. He was trembling, though Jun could feel the way he was fighting to control his heartbeat. He was scared but he was trying not to be.

“I don’t want to leave you, Junhui,” Minghao said, his head buried in Jun’s neck.

Jun didn’t say anything for a long time, and it was only when Minghao moved back and squeezed his shoulders that he looked at the boy. He’d been digging his nails into his palms and when he pulled them away he was bleeding.

“What’s wrong?” Minghao asked. His eyebrows rose as he looked at the bloody crescents.

Jun’s mind was still stuck on a loop of the way JR had talked about the club to the South. He fell back against the headboard and Minghao gripped his shoulders tighter.

“Junhui, please tell me what’s wrong. Did that man do something to you?” Minghao asked, his eyes searching Jun’s face. “I understood most of what he said, but maybe I missed something.”

Jun put his nails back in his palms, the pain helping to clear his head. He finally turned to meet Minghao’s eyes.

“I will not allow the Master to give you up. There is much I need to tell you,” Jun whispered as he pulled Minghao into his arms. Minghao gave him a look but settled against his chest without protest.

Jun’s fingers tapped nervously against Minghao’s back. “The Master is a practical man, and one of the businesses he started is a special kind of brothel to meet a very particular set of tastes,” he said even as his hands started to tremble against Minghao’s skin.

Minghao’s eyes went wide.

“Do the people that go there know about supernatural beings?”

Jun couldn’t help the way the corner of his mouth quirked up.

“You are quite naïve, aren’t you? The club is a place for pain and pleasure. We supernatural beings are perfect for those who find pleasure in causing pain. I was sent there once because I was disobedient.” Jun took a shuddering breath. “It’s amazing what people will do to you when they know your body will heal, Minghao. I used to think that what happened to me before I was turned was the worst thing I would ever have to endure, but once the Master turned me I was a concubine that was harder to kill. That was worse. I will not go there again.”

Minghao went two shades paler almost instantly. He rubbed his hands down Jun’s arms and linked their hands.

“There has to be something we can do,” Minghao said, the words coming out in a rush, “I’ll give the Master anything he wants! If I do maybe he’ll listen to me.”

Jun smiled sadly at Minghao. At some point Minghao had decided that Jun was someone he wouldn’t give up either. Jun was glad the feeling was mutual. It would make the next part easier.

“There is a way we can save ourselves.”

Jun spoke as softly as he could. “I have been planning for some time now to eliminate the Master. I will take care of everything, but I need you to help me get rid of the evidence. The court cannot know that it was me. We must put the blame elsewhere or we will both be executed.”

Minghao blanched but nodded.

“How will I know when you need me to help you?”

Jun sighed.

“You will not like this, but I will need you to be waiting close by. You will know when it is over.”

Minghao squeezed their linked fingers.

“When will you do it?”

Jun smirked.

“At the new moon I will strike.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

  
Junhui had a love-hate relationship with sex. Jun loved sex, but when it became his job he found that it was hard to feel pleasure from it. Sex was expected of him, something that he honed as a skill because fucking was better than dying, but it had been a long, long time since he had been able to let go and really enjoy himself. Jun wasn’t sure if he would ever enjoy it again, but as he worked his hips above the Master, he felt like he actually had to _try_ to stave off his orgasm.

It was easy enough to convince the Master to indulge in his body. JR hadn’t been lying when he said Jun knew what the Master liked. A few pretty words and peek of collar bone was all it took to get the Master under him.

It didn’t take much longer. The Master dug his fingers into Jun’s hips and thrust up once, twice, before his body seized up and he came. As his eyes squeezed shut, Jun fell forward with all his weight on his hands. He slid his hand under the pillow and before the Master’s eyes even had time to open he plunged the stake down with all his might.

Even loose-limbed from orgasm, the Master was fast. He pushed Jun away, the stake sticking out of his chest oozing blood. Jun’s head hit the floor hard enough that dots pinpricked his vision. He hadn’t gone deep enough. That must be why hunters used a mallet.

Junhui was never a lucky person, and even when he planned things out, something was always bound to go wrong.

The Master looked at him with wild eyes as he wrenched the stake out of his chest.

“You would _dare_ betray me like this? _After everything that I’ve done for you_?!”

Jun stood up as fast as he could, just dodging the kick the Master aimed at him. He had to think fast. He glanced at the stake lying bloody on the floor. He looked all around the room, desperate to find anything that could slow the Master down enough for him to finish the job.

It had been a long time since Junhui had fought anyone, and maybe that was the one thing he hadn’t planned on.

The Master gripped him tight, wrenching his arm behind his back and pulling him in close.

“You will not have a second chance, Junhui. There will be no mercy.”

Jun screamed as the Master bit deep into his neck, tearing enough that blood spilled over his skin.

His nonexistent luck had run out.

He was going to die.

His eyes landed on a silver knife. It was small and decorative, set on top of the dresser. Jun couldn’t understand how it had ended up in the Master’s room. Who was able to touch it without getting burned?

Was it —

Jun didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, ignoring the way the Master’s fangs ripped out of his skin, ignoring how more blood gushed hot from his neck, ignoring how his shoulder was pulled from the socket by his movement.

He ignored the way the silver sizzled hot against his palm.

He screamed as he whipped around and plunged the knife in the slowly healing hole the stake had left behind.

The Master’s eyes went wide, but as he opened his mouth no sound came out. It took a moment for him to crumple to the floor.

He was dead.

Jun killed the Master. He killed his Maker.

He staggered the few steps to the bed and fell heavily onto it, and that was how Minghao found him in the deafening silence that followed. Naked. Covered in his own blood. Tears streaming from his eyes because everything hurt and he was probably going to die but at least Minghao would be able to escape.

Minghao rushed to his side, looking him over carefully. He seemed strangely calm.

“Junhui, you’re bleeding.”

Jun couldn’t keep the laugh inside, even as the sound forced more blood from his neck. He was grinning. He felt dizzy.

“He’s dead Minghao. I killed him.”

Minghao stared down at him with a sad kind of smile.

“Yes, you did. How do I stop the bleeding, Junhui?”

Jun turned as much as he could to look at him.

“I need to heal. I’ll bleed out before the wound closes unless I drink.”

Minghao’s eyes widened, the color draining from his face.

Jun sighed, mirroring Minghao’s sad smile. “I would never ask that of you Minghao. You should go. Escape while you can. I will be dead before anyone finds me, and you will be far away from this place.”

Minghao grabbed his hand, smoothing his fingers gently against the burns the silver had left on his palm. Jun wanted to stop hurting. He’d been hurting for such a long time.

He heard Minghao’s shuddered breath as he leaned closer, so close Jun could smell his blood pumping under his skin. It made something primal rise up in him and he had to bite back a growl.

“Just do it, Junhui. Please. I can’t do this without you.”

Jun groaned and pushed Minghao’s neck away. Minghao blinked, confused until Jun grabbed his wrist and brought it to his mouth, no hesitation as his fangs sunk into his skin.

Minghao let out a whimper and tried to pull back, but Jun was gripping him so tightly it would probably bruise. Jun tried to be gentle. He really didn’t want to hurt Minghao, but the part of him that was still desperately clinging to life was insistent. He drank. He drank until the wound on his neck was gone. He drank until the burns from the silver faded away. He drank until Minghao hit his useless arm weakly, desperately.

Jun let go and Minghao flopped against the mattress next to him.

“I took too much. I am sorry.”

Minghao shrugged, a small smile playing at his lips.

“I’ll be alright. I think I’ve gotten used to it. Just let me rest a minute.”

Jun sat up. There was still so much to do.

While Minghao recovered, Jun set his shoulder back in place with wince and a pop. He padded to the bathroom and cleaned the blood off his skin with a few damp cloths. He picked up his clothes from the floor and put them back on. He bandaged Minghao’s wrist, wrapping it as gently as he could.

Jun looked at the blood soaked bed. The only solution would be to move the Master’s body there, clean the blood off the floor, make it look like he was assassinated where he lay.

He nudged Minghao’s shoulder.

“Can you help me move him, Minghao?”

Minghao sat up slowly and took a few deep breaths. He tested his wrist, trying his best to hide the way he winced when he bent it, but looked at Jun and nodded.

Jun took the upper body and had Minghao lift the legs. He did his best to carry as much of the weight as he could. He’d already asked so much of Minghao. It was hard to ask him for any more. It didn’t take long for the two of them to get the Master’s body in place on the bed, the pool of blood Jun left behind situated right where the knife protruded from his chest.

Minghao’s breath left him in a whoosh.

“What now? What’s your plan after this?”

Jun grinned.

“The Master was assassinated. Troops from the North infiltrated the palace and killed him, thinking him some kind of political leader. As his Second in Command, it is my solemn duty to step into the role of Master of the City.”

Minghao’s eyes went bright with something that Jun didn’t want to think about too hard. It looked too much like hope.

“You’re really the Master now?”

“It is the way it has always been done, and any who would dare to question it would be committing treason at best and at worst would be paid a visit from the Council.”

Minghao crumpled to the ground and Jun rushed to his side. Minghao was crying silently, tears streaming down his face.

“We’re safe now, Junhui?”

Jun cupped Minghao’s face in his hands, used his thumbs to wipe away his tears before kissing his forehead gently.

“Almost, Minghao. There is just a little more to do and then we will be free.”

Jun was half way through cleaning the pool of blood off the floor, Minghao sitting near him next to the bed, when JR came into the room. He went pale for a moment before anger gave way. He ran toward Jun and pulled him off the ground by the front of his shirt.

“ _What have you done_?”

JR was breathing out raggedly like he forgot for a moment that he was a vampire and didn’t need to breathe at all. His eyes went behind Jun’s shoulder and he stared at the Master’s body, the silver knife jutting out of his chest, Minghao hugging his knees on the floor. He gripped Jun tighter.

“You killed him together then, did you? You tricked that boy into doing this for you. You are a filthy whore who thinks of nothing but himself. Every day I regret not ending your wretched life before Master turned you.”

Jun smiled and when JR stared at him with shock he smiled wider until he was sure his face would split in half.

“I’m afraid I do not understand, JR. I found the Master just like this. It seems some human troops must have snuck into the palace and assassinated him. I am now Master of the city, as the late Master intended when he made me his Second in Command.”

JR’s eyes went wide and his hand dropped from Jun’s shirt like he’d been burned. He took a few steps back but gave Jun a cocky smirk.

“Who do you think the Court will believe, Junhui? Everyone knows you’ve harbored a grudge against the Master all this time. They will listen to reason.”

“It is not up to the Court. If you wish to question my legitimacy, then by all means call the Council. Who do you think _they_ will believe, JR? The Master’s hand-picked Second, or some petty vampire chasing the coat-tails of power?” Jun took a breath, smoothing his smile into something more pleasant and less wild.

“You’re _nothing_ , Junhui. A commoner. A solider with a pretty face Master bought to use as he saw fit. You don’t deserve to be in power. You don’t deserve _anything_.”

“Kim Jonghyun, you have always been a nuisance to me. There is no better time to eliminate you than right now,” Jun continued, his voice almost too sweet as he stepped closer. “What a tragedy that the intruders killed the Master _and_ you. Your bravery will not be forgotten now that I am Master.”

JR blanched, the cocky look slipping off his face so fast Jun almost laughed out loud.

“Junhui, don’t be unreasonable. We both know the Master was long overdue for justice, especially from you.”

Jun stopped in front of JR, placing his hands on his shoulders.

“JR, I do not plan to be a Master who is unkind. There is unclaimed territory to the North. The Master was hoarding it for himself, but I will give it to you to rule as you see fit. Not only will you be my equal but the two of us will be quite far away from each other. I think that is for the best, don’t you?”

JR stared at him for a long time. Jun watched the gears turn in his head, watched him weigh his options. Could he kill Jun and Minghao? Could he really do anything besides accept?

Jun had thought further ahead than anyone gave him credit for. He’d been paying attention to all of the Master’s territory, and he’d been prepared to give some of it up if he had to.

After a few more heartbeats of silence, JR sighed and looked at the floor.

“It would be foolish to not accept this generous offer. You are already proving to be a better Master, Junhui.”

Jun gave JR’s shoulders a squeeze before he stepped back. There was still a lot to do before chaos claimed the palace. He had to finish cleaning the blood off the floor. He had to mold his face into the correct amount of shock and sadness before speaking to the court. Jun waved a hand dismissively in JR’s direction.

“I will forgive your earlier outburst, JR. I understand how shocking tonight’s events have been for all of us. Even so, I expect you to be gone before sunrise. I do not think you will like the punishment I have planned for you if you disobey me.”

He heard JR turn and walk out of the room. He sighed. Acting like a real Master of the City was like putting on a mask that was too tight. Jun knew it would take a while before he got used to it.

“Why does he hate you so much?”

The soft voice made Jun jump and he turned to look at Minghao with wide eyes.

“He has always hated me. I do not think it really matters why.”

“You should have killed him,” Minghao said with a sigh, moving closer so he could start mopping at the blood on the floor, “He doesn’t seem like the type who will let this go. He’s going to keep coming after you.”

Jun sighed and sat next to Minghao, picking up a cloth and setting to work. It didn’t take long for the two of them to finish cleaning up.

“I do not want to be the kind of person who solves problems by killing, Minghao. There has been enough death. I do not want to be a part of any more.”

Minghao touched his shoulder and sighed softly.

“Junhui, if anyone can figure out how to rule with the illusion of ruthlessness, it’s you.”

Jun couldn’t help the small smile that played at his lips, and he pulled Minghao quickly against his chest before he stood. He had much to do before the night was over.

 

 

 

***

 

 

  
It took a few months for things to settle down. Many vampires that had served the former Master left when Jun assumed power, and that was more than fine with him. The less people he had to watch out for the better. JR had left just as Jun had ordered, and that more than anything else had made the transition from Second to Master easier.

It was one of those late spring nights almost humid enough to be summer. Jun found Minghao in the gardens, smiling softly as his eyes roamed the many colored azalea bushes in bloom. There were whites, pinks, purples, reds, every color imaginable. Jun hadn’t spent much time in the gardens, but he could see what drew Minghao out here. It was soft and quiet and peaceful. It was a place where it was easy to forget what lay inside the palace walls.

“It’s very pretty out here,” Jun said softly as he approached. Minghao turned toward him slowly, the same gentle smile on his face.

Jun ignored how his heart squeezed in his chest. He’d come to find Minghao for a reason, after all. He couldn’t get distracted by the way the moonlight shone against his skin.

“Would you let me try planting some things? I want to see if I can grow some camellias, or maybe some roses.” Minghao’s eyes were as soft as his voice.

Jun stepped forward before he had a chance to get distracted again. He took Minghao’s hand in his own, rubbing his thumb across his knuckles.

“The palace is as much yours as it is mine. You can do anything you like,” Jun started, pausing to take a deep breath before continuing, “I want to give you something, Minghao. A gift, but you do not have to accept it unless you want to.”

Minghao looked at their joined hands, his eyebrows furrowing before he met Jun’s eyes. “Is it something I wouldn’t want?”

Jun bit his lip and looked away, back to their hands. “I am not sure, but I want to give it to you anyway.”

Jun led him to a bench next to a bed of peonies. The moon was full, casting a glow over the garden and giving Minghao’s eyes an almost supernatural glint. Jun kept getting distracted.

“Minghao, you saved my life. I know that it was you that put the knife where I could see it. You shared your blood, _your life,_ with me even though you were afraid. I have been thinking of what I can do to repay you, and there is only one thing I can give you.”

Minghao listened in silence, his eyes searching Jun’s like he could pull the answer out somehow. Jun inched closer until their thighs were just touching before he continued.

“Minghao, I want to make you my human servant. Let me give you the gift of immortality.”

Minghao almost recoiled. Jun could hear his heart hammering away in his chest, could feel the strain where their legs touched, the way his fingers tightened in Jun’s hand.

“You will not be a vampire,” Jun added hastily, realizing that was probably what Minghao was thinking. No wonder he was scared. He brought his other hand up to rest on Minghao’s knee. “It is a kind of bond between human and vampire. We will both be more powerful for it, and you will remain human, though you will stop aging as if you were a vampire. You do not have to serve me either. It is an antiquated term, not something that I expect of you, but traditionally you would act as my representative in daylight.”

 Minghao looked down at his shoes. He didn’t disconnect their hands. He didn’t run away. But he was silent for a long time.

“How does it work? If I say yes, what do you have to do?”

Jun felt the tension flow out of his shoulders. He sighed but tried not to look too happy. Minghao hadn’t said no, but he hadn’t said yes either.

“There is a ritual with four steps, and at the fourth you will become immortal. You do not have to do it all at once. Each mark will make both of us more powerful, but it will also make us more connected to each other. After the fourth mark, if either of us were to die the other will die too.”

Minghao finally met his eyes again, a strange mix of determination and fear on his face.

“Do you have to bite me?”

Jun bit his lip but kept his eyes locked with Minghao.

“Only once. I promise I will not hurt you, Minghao. I’m giving you a gift, after all. I will not cause you any more pain.”

Minghao’s fingers traced against the back of Jun’s hand. They stayed there for a long time, the soft sound of the first cicadas mingling with the soft rustling of leaves. The air was warm and sweet, and Jun felt his heart thud once painfully against his ribs.

Maybe it was selfish, but he didn’t want to give Minghao up. He didn’t want to watch Minghao grow old and die. He didn’t want Minghao to go back to China or some other part of the country where he couldn’t follow. He wanted to keep the boy with him for the rest of his immortal life. Not because Minghao had saved him, but because Minghao was kind and gentle, calm and practical.

When Minghao looked at him again, it hit Jun like a ton of bricks.

He cared about Minghao, cared about him so much that he’d almost given up his life to keep him safe. Maybe he even loved him.

“Okay,” Minghao said so, so softly in the space between them, “I want to, but can we wait a little longer before you bite me? You can do whatever steps are before that now if–if you’re ready.”

Jun couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He almost jumped off the bench in his excitement. He settled for taking his hand out of Minghao’s and ruffling his hair fondly.

“Once I give you these marks, they cannot be taken back. Are you sure this is what you want?”

Minghao’s hand came up to cup his face. Jun was pretty sure it was the first time Minghao had touched him so intimately and it made something warm surge inside him. He almost felt like he was blushing.

“I want to stay by your side as long as you’ll let me, Junhui.”

Jun nodded, sliding his hand over Minghao’s just to feel the warmth of his skin. He turned so he was sitting cross legged on the bench and gestured to Minghao to do the same.

“Keep your eyes on mine, Minghao. You might feel a bit strange, but it will not hurt. I promise you.”

Minghao blinked once and nodded, taking his hand off Jun’s face and resting his hands on his knees.

Jun had only gone into a human’s mind a few times in his immortal life. He didn’t like the way it turned humans docile, but it was necessary sometimes. He stared into Minghao’s soft eyes and watched as they glazed over just a bit. Jun took a tiny bit of the magic inside of him, the essential magic that made him a vampire, and he passed it over as gently as he could to Minghao, like he was placing it delicately inside his mind. The first mark was easy. It was the second that was a little trickier.

Jun felt something go hot inside him, like a tiny fire was burning just under his skin. He concentrated it behind his eyes and sent it across to Minghao.

At first, he wasn’t sure if it worked. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, and when he glanced back to Minghao the boy’s eyes glowed gold for just a moment before returning to normal. Minghao blinked slowly a few times and shook his head.

“Is it done?”

Jun nodded and Minghao ran his hands up his arms, down his chest, like he was trying to feel if something had changed in him.

“I don’t feel any different.”

Jun ran his hand through Minghao’s hair before standing up, stretching a little as a warm breeze brushed past him.

“It will take some time to get used to. I can sense my magic inside of you.”

Minghao ran his hand across the petals of the peonies.

“Thank you, Junhui. Thank you for giving me this.”

Jun turned back to him.

“When you are ready for the final marks, come find me. I know I have been busy these days but I always have time for you.”

Minghao laughed and his lips turned up in another gentle smile.

“It’ll be sooner than you expect.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

  
Being connected to Minghao through vampire marks was a strange experience for Jun. He learned over the next few weeks that if concentrated, he could taste food when Minghao ate it. If he really, really concentrated he could feel things as Minghao felt them. That was helpful in its own way. It helped him understand the whirlwind of emotions that Minghao was sorting through: happiness, sadness, fear, love, a fierce loyalty that Jun had never experienced in his life.

It was about a month after when Minghao ended up at the edge of his bed. Jun was rifling through messages sent to him from other Master Vampires: Ren to the West, Bada to the East, Minhyun to the South and JR to the North. Some letters were congratulatory, some were offering resources in exchange for his body, some subtly hinting at war. It was about what he was expecting.

Jun looked up and gave Minghao a small smile.

“Let me put these away and then we can talk.”

Jun stacked the messages in a neat pile and set them on the floor next to his bed, turning his attention back to Minghao quickly.

“I’m ready,” Minghao said, his voice level, his eyes calm. It made something in Jun’s chest tight.

“I guess you were right,” Jun said as he sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, “You decided more quickly than I expected.”

Minghao moved further onto the bed and sat in front of Jun, mirroring his position. Their knees were touching and Jun could feel how warm Minghao was. He could hear how his heart was starting to beat just a little faster.

If Jun’s heart could beat normally it would be racing.

He leaned forward, close enough that he could see every detail of Minghao’s face. If he really wanted to, Jun could rub their noses together and for a second he considered it. Maybe it would ease some of the tension in his chest.

“Are you really sure you are ready, Minghao?”

It came out softer than Jun intended, kind of unsure even though he knew more than anything that he wanted to.

Minghao’s hands reached out for his and he leaned forward enough to bump their foreheads together.

“Junhui, ever since I met you you’ve been saving me. This is something that I can do to help you for once. You’ll be stronger and we can work together to make the kind of future we want to live in. It’s a bonus that I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Jun ran his thumb over Minghao’s skin and sighed, giving in and rubbing their noses together.

“You make it sound as if we are getting married.”

Saying the words out loud made Jun’s eyes go wide. Minghao’s smile was almost shy in return.

“That’s kind of what it is, isn’t it? You don’t have to be committed to only me or anything like that, but we _are_ going to be tied to each other for eternity.”

 Jun grinned and rubbed his nose across Minghao’s cheek before pulling back.

“I think it will be easier to do the finals marks together. I will drink from you and you must drink from me in return. I will have to say an incantation, and then it will be done.”

Minghao nodded, his eyes clear and warm and sure in a way that made Jun giddy. He couldn’t remember the last time in his life he’d been as excited. Maybe when he’d gotten on that boat, twenty years old and ready to start a new life.

Jun tucked Minghao’s hair behind his ear, let his hand trail down his neck and rest on his shoulder. Minghao leaned his head away, exposing a little more of his neck and Jun’s mouth went dry. He leaned forward and planted a tender kiss to Minghao’s pulse point.

Minghao sighed and when Jun pulled away he looked confused.

“It’s alright, Junhui. I know you won’t hurt me.”

Jun smiled and shook his head.

“It will be easier from here,” he said as he brought Minghao’s wrist closer to his face. “We must both drink after all.”

He took a deep breath, his eyes glued to Minghao’s face as his thumb traced his wrist. He licked his lips and bit down.

It was thrilling to watch Minghao’s face. He’d expected Minghao to flinch, to wince, anything really, but Minghao held his gaze and gasped. Jun could feel how fast his heart was beating against his lips. He concentrated on the magic instead, and on every pull from Minghao’s wrist little flashes of memory came with it. It was like he was watching a stop-motion film of Minghao’s life. He saw everything, every little bit that made Minghao who he was.

He didn’t take much blood before he pulled his mouth off Minghao’s wrist, giving it a final lick. He felt Minghao’s shudder against his lips.

Jun didn’t waste time. He bit into his own wrist and held it out to Minghao. Minghao took it in both hands like it was a gift, an offering, something precious and it made him almost dizzy.

Minghao brought his wrist up and wrapped his mouth around the bite. Jun had been a vampire for a long time, but he’d never let anyone take blood from him after he was turned (the Master didn’t count because that was about killing and not about blood and he was dead, anyway). Minghao was the first person, human or otherwise, to taste his blood in nearly half a century.

He cleared his throat and started to speak.

“When I close my eyes, when I breathe, from now until the end of time, past and future joined together as one.”

He’d found the original incantation in a book the Master left behind, the same book he’d found all the steps needed to make Minghao his human servant. The spell had made something twist unpleasantly in his gut so he’d changed it a bit, just enough that the words were his own, that the magic he used to bind them together was just for them.

Jun knew when Minghao felt it. He heard the way his heart seemed to stop and restart, felt the way his hands gripped Jun’s wrist like a vice before relaxing again. The magic was so powerful it was almost overwhelming. It wasn’t long before it started to feel like too much, like a cup that was going to overflow. Like if they didn’t give the magic an outlet it would destroy them.

Jun only knew one way to channel things.

He pulled his wrist from Minghao’s mouth and connected their lips in a kiss slick with blood. Minghao kissed him back right away and Jun was surprised by the intensity. Maybe Minghao could sense through their bond that Jun was trying to control the magic, or maybe Minghao just wanted to kiss him.

Jun hoped it was both.

Minghao’s tongue traced his bottom lip and Jun groaned, opening up and meeting him in the middle. His hands trailed down Minghao’s body, splaying across his lower back and pulling their bodies flush together. Minghao’s hands were in his hair and Jun felt a drop of blood hit his skin. He was still bleeding.

Jun broke the kiss and grabbed Minghao’s arm, pulling his wrist back to his mouth for a final lick. He didn’t miss the way Minghao shivered at the contact.

Minghao took his wrist away from Jun’s mouth and cupped his cheek, his thumb running across Jun’s face. Jun let out a shaky exhale. Any time Minghao touched him it felt like his whole body was on fire, but the magic coursing through him made it even more intense.

“We must do something. The magic is more powerful than I imagined and we will be consumed quite soon,” Jun said, rubbing his face against Minghao’s hand just because he could.

Minghao’s other hand was on Jun’s hip. Jun could feel Minghao’s body heat in the tiny space between them.

“So you want to —”

“I do not want something that you are not willing to give me,” Jun rushed out, cutting off whatever Minghao was going to say.

“I’m not a _virgin_ , Junhui,” Minghao answered, a flush that looked more angry than embarrassed coloring his face.

Jun grinned even as the magic crashed through him. He was starting to feel dizzy.

“I never once thought that you were, but we can find another way if you do not want to be with me like this.”   

“I want to do this with you, Junhui. I —,” he stopped to gasp through another wave of magic, “I really, really want to. With or without the magic, okay?”

Jun nodded against Minghao’s hand and pulled him in for another kiss. He sighed against Jun’s lips, both hands moving to his hips, fingers skimming across his abdomen. Every touch made the magic calmer, more manageable, from a bonfire to a candle flame.

Jun fell back against the bed and pulled Minghao on top of him. He nearly laughed at the way Minghao’s eyes flicked across his face, almost unsure but pupils blown with a quickly growing desire. Jun kissed him again. He worked open the buttons of Minghao’s shirt, hands roaming his feverish skin. Minghao’s heart was hammering in his chest and he sucked in a breath when Jun’s hands touched him. Jun moved his leg up to slot between Minghao’s thighs, putting just a little pressure against his groin.

Minghao broke the kiss to groan, his eyes screwed shut as Jun’s thigh pressed a bit more. His eyes roamed Minghao’s body, warm and smooth and strong. He pulled the shirt off as much as he could and Minghao finally sat up with a huff, sliding it the rest of the way off and tossing it away.

He tapped Jun’s chest with a finger, his eyes dark and half-lidded.

“You too.”

 _That_ sent a thrill of heat straight to his groin. Jun nodded and got his shirt off in record time, half tempted to just rip the buttons off. When it was done he lay back and bathed in the way Minghao looked at him.

It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Jun without clothes, but he admired him like it was all the same. Jun sat up enough to rest his weight on his elbows and met Minghao’s eyes.

“What will you have me do next?” he asked, ignoring how the pressure of the magic was starting to ebb through him again. Jun was determined to enjoy himself and no magic was going to rush him.

Minghao looked down at him without speaking, his hands idly tracing Jun’s waist. Jun shivered as his hands moved lower, down the v of his hips and into the waistband of his pants. He pressed his thigh into Minghao’s groin again just to hear him suck in a breath.

“Are you stalling, Minghao? If you do not know what to do I can certainly show you,” Jun said, unable to keep the teasing out of his voice, “I have had quite a lot of practice.”

Minghao frowned.

“Junhui, just let me take care of you. Please?”

It was the sincerity in his voice that made Jun fall back against the bed with an exasperated huff. How long had it been since someone had said that to him?

Long enough that he wasn’t sure he could believe it.

Minghao moved off Jun to work his pants down his legs before he settled back on top of him. His hands were next to Jun’s head, but instead of feeling caged in he felt…good as their lips came together again. Minghao’s hips rolled against him and Jun’s whole body flared with heat. The friction of his pants against his bare skin was way too good, and Jun kept bucking up against him, impatience finally setting in.

Minghao’s tongue curled around his and Jun’s hands gripped his hips, grinding them together in a slow rhythm.

Minghao broke the kiss and reached into the stand by Jun’s bed, digging around until he pulled out the little jar of lube he kept there.

So Minghao _did_ know what to do. All the better then.

Jun parted his legs so Minghao could settle between them. His breaths were shallow. A pink flush had spread down his chest and Jun bit his lip as his eyes landed on Minghao’s erection straining against his pants.

Minghao looked absolutely sinful.

“Let me see all of you, Minghao,” Jun said, voice almost a whine. He wanted Minghao’s pants off so bad it made his dick twitch with need.

Minghao rolled his eyes but slid out of his pants with no complaints. He looked as good as Jun knew he would, strong thighs and beautiful cock already slick with precum, flushed and heavy.

Jun pulled Minghao back on top of him, grinding their erections together hastily. Minghao let out a breathy moan that Jun swallowed in a kiss.

Minghao broke the kiss first, panting into Jun’s neck as they continued grinding against each other deliciously slow.

“Are you always like this?” Minghao asked, kissing a lazy line up Jun’s neck.

He let out a contented hum.

“Only when I am enjoying myself. You are very beautiful. I want to take my time with you,” he said, giving Minghao’s cheek a quick kiss when he looked up from Jun’s neck. “I also cannot say how long it will be before the magic stabilizes so it is better to take it slow.”

Minghao gave him a skeptical look but nodded, kissing Jun one last time on the lips before moving back between his legs.

Minghao opened the jar of lube and spread some on his fingers. He took a deep breath, their eyes meeting for a moment and a pleasant kind of tension filled Jun’s veins. Minghao put a hesitant hand on his cock, a feather light touch that had his eyes fluttering with pleasure.

Jun couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with someone who cared about his pleasure at all, and Minghao’s gentleness was almost more than he could take. He worked his hand over Jun’s cock slowly, tightening his grip a little on each stroke until Jun moaned, then he stroked his thumb over the sensitive spot just under the head.

Jun’s whole body was tingling. A smile curled at the corners of his mouth and he bucked up into Minghao’s fist just to feel an extra jolt run through him.

Minghao’s slick finger traced his entrance and Jun moaned unrestrained. He cracked his eyes open to look at Minghao down the line of his body. He was staring down at Jun, his pupils blown, breaths coming quick and shallow. He glanced up and when their eyes met he looked back down quickly.

“You are doing so well, Minghao. I cannot remember the last time I felt like this,” Jun said, voice breathy.

Minghao’s reaction was immediate. He sucked in a breath, his body jolting at the words and he tightened his grip on Jun’s cock enough to make him groan. Jun had to look up at the ceiling to hide his grin.

Minghao had never reacted like that to Jun’s compliments when he was teaching him. But maybe it wasn’t the praise. Maybe it was the knowledge that he was making Jun feel good. He’d have to think more about it later.

Minghao finally pressed his finger inside and Jun sighed, arching up into Minghao’s hand that was still stroking his cock.

Everything had a hazy quality. The slow slide of Minghao’s hand on his cock, the gentle stretch of Minghao’s finger inside him, the magic ebbing gently in the back of his mind.

“You can give me more. I won’t break,” Jun sighed out.

Minghao pulled out and thrust back in with two fingers. He sped up just enough that Jun keened, torn between which hand he wanted to chase. His own hands moved to squeeze his thighs, to trace just around the base of his cock and he shivered, pleasure coursing through him in waves.

“I never once thought you would,” Minghao said, echoing Jun’s words from earlier in a way that had his hands moving back to squeeze his thighs tight.

God. He never thought Minghao would be so…much.

Minghao kept thrusting, both hands working in unison to drive Jun closer to ruin. He felt almost overwhelmed, the pleasure building up like an afterimage to the magic, like it was all filling him until he was consumed.

Jun shivered when Minghao’s fingers curled inside him and rolled his hips down a little desperately.

“I didn’t think I would ever see you like this, Junhui,” Minghao cooed out just as his fingers pressed against that spot inside him.

Jun moaned, open and loud and he really didn’t care if the entire palace heard him because nothing really mattered except Minghao, anyway. Minghao made a small, satisfied noise in the back of his throat and kept his fingers there, a constant pressure that had Jun’s skin buzzing. His other hand kept working over Jun’s cock and it was only a few more strokes before he had to grip Minghao’s hand tight.

“Enough. Please, I need you,” he rasped out. His throat felt raw. His whole body felt raw, open and exposed and on edge in a way he hadn’t been in a long, long time.

Minghao smiled at him, soft and sweet as he pulled out and took his hand off Jun’s leaking cock.

He found the jar of lube again and moved to slick himself up but Jun grabbed his wrist before he could.

“Let me,” he said as he sat up, “I want to touch you too. I want to–well–do you trust me to give us both pleasure?”

Minghao kissed him softly on the lips.

“I always trust you, Junhui. Whatever you want.”

Jun grinned and bumped their foreheads together for a moment before taking the lube. He took some in his hand and wrapped it around Minghao’s cock, flushed and aching and Jun wanted nothing more than to feel Minghao inside him.

Minghao’s eyes slammed shut as he moaned, his hips stuttering to follow Jun’s hand right away. His face ended up in Jun’s neck and he panted hotly against his skin. Jun kept an easy pace, thumb coming up to rub across the head of his cock just often enough for Minghao to start anticipating it, little whines escaping him every time Jun did it.

Jun took his hand off him after a few minutes. He nudged Minghao’s chest until the boy fell back against the sheets, looking up at Jun with wide eyes.

“I thought you said you trust me, Minghao,” Jun said, pouting a little dramatically.

He straddled Minghao’s waist, moving onto his knees. He gripped Minghao’s cock and lined himself up.

“ _This_ is what you meant?” Minghao asked, voice thick. Jun could hear the way his heart was racing. He turned back to face him, smirking as he slowly sank down.

Minghao gasped and Jun let his eyes fall shut. It was the same pleasure pain he was expecting. Maybe it was the magic or maybe it was because it was Minghao but Jun slid down a little faster than he normally would have. Everything was so intense he had to brace his hands on Minghao’s waist to steady himself.

Minghao was panting under him, the muscles in his stomach tensing as he fought to stay still. He really was too sweet for his own good.

Jun blinked and instead of Minghao he saw the Master, stake in his chest and blood splattered across his body. The image was so jarring Jun almost recoiled, but it was gone just as fast as it came. He leaned down to kiss Minghao, the feeling of his lips and tongue grounding Jun back in the present.

He kissed Minghao until his body thrummed with need again, until he felt Minghao cant his hips up just a little, just enough for Jun to shiver against him.

Jun sat up, propped himself against Minghao’s thighs and began to move. He started slow, rising up until the head of Minghao’s cock was all that remained inside him before sinking back down. Minghao moaned, his hands tight in the sheets. He kept looking at Jun then up to the ceiling quickly, like the sight before him was too much.

Maybe it was. Just seeing Minghao under him was enough to make Jun ache.

He rolled his hips against Minghao, grinding down to get him as deep as he could, moaning desperately at the feeling. Minghao reached for his hands and Jun adjusted, taking his weight off Minghao’s thigh so they could lace their fingers together.

“Junhui, you’re so —” Minghao started, but his words were cut off in a breathy moan when Jun moved. The shift in position was just enough to get Minghao deeper. It made Jun tighten around him with a whine.

“ _Minghao —_ ” he keened, bouncing faster on Minghao’s cock, need finally taking over rational thought.

Minghao seemed to agree and he planted his feet on the bed to roll his hips up into Jun’s body.

It was then that Minghao’s cock finally brushed against that spot inside him. It took everything Jun had to not fall boneless against Minghao. He kept himself upright but squeezed their joined hands.

“ _There there there —_ ”

Minghao moaned almost helplessly as Jun kept going, rocking down right where he needed it.

“ _Junhui, I’m —"_

 Jun knew, could tell by the way Minghao’s fingers tensed against his, by the way his rhythm faltered. He took one of his hands and wrapped it around Jun’s neglected cock, flushed and shiny with precum. Jun keened, his head thrown back as he desperately kept the pace of his hips.

Minghao stroked him frantically, a little faster than the rhythm Jun set. The pleasure built and built but Jun wouldn’t come before Minghao did.

He held it back, grit his teeth against the feeling bubbling up inside him and leveled his best half-lidded stare down at Minghao.

“Come for me, Minghao. Make me feel good.”

Minghao made a desperate, bitten off sound and thrust up into Jun, and like it was really a command he came.

Jun shivered at the feeling and worked Minghao through it, and only after he felt Minghao trembling with aftershocks under him did he finally let go, thrusting into Minghao’s hand and onto his cock and coming with a moan all over Minghao’s stomach.

Jun fell forward, his face buried against Minghao’s neck. At some point the magic had faded down into a barely noticeable thrum. Jun could feel a stronger connection with Minghao. It was almost like half of their souls had been ripped out and exchanged, and yet it didn’t feel as intense as it seemed. It was more like they’d always been that way.

Jun kissed Minghao just because he wanted to and Minghao returned it with a blissed out sigh.

“So, it’s done? Am I really immortal now?” Minghao asked. He was still flushed from orgasm and he looked so cute Jun wanted to rub against his cheek like a cat.

“Can you not feel a difference? It definitely worked,” Jun replied. He eased off of Minghao’s softening cock and flopped next to him, curling into his side right away.

Minghao wrapped an arm around him reflexively. He kept looking at him with wonder and Jun almost laughed.

“Can I ask you something?”

Jun smirked and put his chin on Minghao’s shoulder.

“Anything.”

“How did you —,” Minghao started, looking down at Jun’s chest before continuing, “How did you hold out that long? You, uh, you waited for me. Wasn’t it hard for you?”

“I have learned a lot of tricks over the centuries,” Jun said, voice teasing against Minghao’s ear. “I will show you later, if you want. There are _so many_ things I can teach you.”

Minghao sighed and pulled Jun closer to his side.

“I guess there are worse things to learn about.”

Jun gave in and rubbed their cheeks together. Minghao huffed.

“Are you always going to be like this, Junhui? Aren’t you Master of the City now?”

“I cannot help that I like you so much, Minghao. You should be nicer to me. We have to spend eternity together, remember?”

Minghao kissed his forehead and then his lips.

“I suppose we do. But we really need to work on your public image.”

Jun pouted.

“We will worry about that later. For now, we should clean up.”

He rolled off the bed and stretched. Jun couldn’t remember the last time he felt so…good. He turned to look at Minghao over his shoulder. He was giving Jun that soft, fond smile, the one from the garden.

Jun grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of bed and into the shower, ignoring his eye rolls and huffs the entire way.

 

 

 

***

 

 

  
“Don’t you want to go home?” Jun asked. His face was buried in Minghao’s neck and Minghao was looking up at the stars.

They were in the gardens. It was their last night, and as bittersweet as it was to leave the palace Jun knew that moving into the city proper would be more beneficial for the things he had planned. The things _they_ had planned.

It wasn’t a…traditional relationship by any means, but Jun liked it better that way. Minghao was his friend, his partner, his advisor and sometimes his lover. In the future, they might find other people to share their lives with, but for now they were all they had. Minghao was a part of Jun, quite literally his other half. Jun hoped their hypothetical future lovers were open-minded.

Minghao sighed.

“Maybe once we get things in the city settled we can go. I think we’ll deserve a vacation after that.”

Jun moved his head back so he could look at Minghao’s face.

“ _We_?”

Minghao’s smile had a wry quality. It was something like a habit he’d developed since becoming Jun’s human servant. It was kind of cute but it kind of made Jun want to pout.

“Why would I go back alone? Don’t you want to see how much has changed? Imagine what your hometown must look like.”

There was a time, centuries ago, that thoughts of home were the only things keeping him from walking into the sun. Time passed differently once there was an endless supply of it. There was no one waiting for him back home, not anymore. Any family he had was long gone. The life he lived before he became a vampire was gone too.

But there was a part of him that wanted to see Minghao walking down the dirt roads of the town he’d left behind, swinging a lantern in the warm summer night. He wanted to show Minghao all of his favorite places and foods and the cat that used to visit him when he walked next to the river.

Most of those places were probably gone, torn down and rebuilt and expanded in the post-war economy. Anything left from the time he’d been there would be a historical site.

Jun hummed and put his head back on Minghao’s chest.

“I doubt anything remains of the place I grew up, but I think I would like to see it. Can you eat spicy food, Minghao?”

Minghao’s hand ran through Jun’s hair and he let out a long exhale.

“It depends on what you mean by spicy.”

Jun couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he leaned forward and kissed Minghao on the cheek.

“We will have to start building up your tolerance if you want to enjoy the traditional dishes. I want to taste them again, now that I can.”

Minghao gave him a gentle smile before turning his eyes back to the stars.

Building something from the ashes of the former Master seemed an impossible task, but Minghao’s calm assurance and ability to reign in Jun’s scattered thoughts made him feel like it wasn’t so impossible at all.

They had already arranged a meeting with a vampire interested in joining them, a rogue information broker named Soonyoung. After that, he was meeting with the Alpha of the leopards and wolves. Minghao insisted that they would be fine since he’d trained in martial arts back home. He kept trying to get Jun to practice with him and sometimes Jun would, but Minghao was much more skilled and he could only get knocked to the floor so many times for his patience ran out.

They had a small, precious thing in the palace, but the world wasn’t small and precious forever. Jun had to begin shaping the supernatural community into the one he wanted to live in.

He had a lot of plans for the city, and with Minghao by his side, he finally had luck to spare.

**Author's Note:**

>  Me? Referencing the Anita Blake book that talks about lycanthropes and vampires working in a BSDM club because they can take a lot of damage and heal from it? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> Anyway, Junhao are soul mates and they're basically married. Their relationship might not be a physical one in White Noise, but they always care for and want the best for each other ;~; Obviously they've both grown up and changed in 60 years (especially Minghao because someone has to keep Jun in line). They love each other a lot and it makes my heart hurt to think about what they have done and would do for each other.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! Writing from Jun's POV, especially from his pre-Master days was really fun!
> 
> I also hope y'all aren't tired of this AU quite yet because I've got a lot more to tell(like...two more side fics and a sequel's worth to get into)!!
> 
>  
> 
> [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/tsukkitaeil) // [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/tsukkitaeil)


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